1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to packaging arts. More particularly, the invention concerns a paper board carton for use in packaging containers containing pet food, wherein the containers are stacked in three tiers.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Numerous types of containers are commonly sold in multiple quantities and are packaged in cartons of a wide variety of designs. Common types of article packages include wrap around article containers, basket style carriers and sleeve type carriers. Basket style carriers are commonly employed to package beverage bottles cans and like articles. Such carriers typically include a separate cell for each bottle or can and a central handle panel for easily carrying the package. Typically, contact between adjacent cans or bottles is prevented by partitions which define the cells and by the center longitudinal partition.
Wrap around article carriers are commonly designed to have ends which are either partially or entirely open. In either case, the carriers are typically provided with some type of securement means for preventing the articles from falling out of the ends. Beverage cans, for example, are typically held in place partly by the tension of the tightly wrapped carrier and by engagement of the top and bottom flanges of the cans with the edges of cut outs provided in the side panels of the carrier through which the flanges of the cans extend.
Sleeve type carriers are typically manufactured from an elongated blank having a side panel section at one end and either the bottom panel section or the top panel section at the other end. The blank is formed into a flattened tube by folding the end sections in and adhering them to each other by a glue flap on one of the end sections. This flattened tube or collapsed carrier, as it is often called, is then shipped to a packaging plant where it is erected into a generally tubular shape, filled with the articles being packaged and then closed at its ends. The end panels are typically formed from end flaps connected to the top and bottom panels. When bottles are packaged in sleeve type carriers, the upper portions of the end panels are often made to taper inwardly toward the top panel to more closely conform to the shape of the bottles. An example of this latter type of article carrier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,470 issued to Sutherland.
Exemplary of the previously discussed basket style article carriers is the article carrier described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,319 issued to Harrelson. A somewhat different type of basket style carrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,130 also issued to Harrelson. One type of wrap around carrier of the character previously discussed is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,956 issued to Sutherland. Still another type of prior art wrap around carrier for packaging rows of articles is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,431 issued to Harris.
In some instances, it is desirable to package articles in two tiers. For example, on occasion it is desirable to package containers such as cans in two tiers rather than in a single layer. An example of such packaging is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,030 issued to Baxter.
A common drawback of many of the prior art article packages is the overall complexity of the package and the difficulty in retrieving articles one at a time from the package without destroying the integrity of the package. This is particularly true in carriers designed to contain articles stacked in tiers. Another drawback of certain of the prior art article carriers is their inability to protect against article movement and accidental carrier collapse. Finally, because of the complexity of manufacture of many of the prior art article packages, the cost of the package is often excessive.
It is these various deficiencies of prior art packaging that the present invention seeks to overcome by providing a simple yet sturdy, and easy to use article carrier for carrying various types of containers stacked in a plurality of tiers.